508 RECORD OF SCIENCE FOR 1887 AND 1888. 



pares the star magnitudes as they have beeu arranged by means of the 

 eye with the results of mechanical photometers. 



Some interesting experiments on the reciprocal influence of organs of 

 sense have been recently made by Herr CJrbanschitsch, of Vienna. His 

 general conclusion is that any sense-excitation has for result an increase 

 of acuteness of other senses. Thus sensations of hearing sharpen the 

 visual perceptions. If colored plates are placed at such a distance that 

 one can hardly distinguish the colors, and various sounds are then pro- 

 duced, the colors become generally more distinct the higher the sounds. 

 Similarly, one can, while a sound affects the ear, read words which one 

 could not read before. Again, the ticking of a watch is better heard 

 when the eyes are open than when they are closed. Red and green in- 

 crease auditive perceptions, but blue and yellow weaken them. Several 

 musicians, however, were agreed that red, green, and yellow and blue 

 caused an intensitication of sound about one-eighth ; while violet had a 

 weakening effect. Taste, smell, and touch are under like laws. Light 

 and red and green colors increase their delicacy ; while darkness, blue 

 and yellow diminish it. Under the influence of red and green, taste 

 extends from the anterior border of the tongue to the whole surface. 

 On the other hand, a strengthening of smell, taste, or touch exalts the 

 other sensitive perceptions. Specially interesting is the reciprocal in- 

 fluence of touch and the sense of temperature. If one tickle the skin 

 with a hair and plunge the hand in hot water the tickling sensation 

 ceases ; on the contrary, if the hand be placed in cold water and a part 

 of the body tickled the temperature is felt more vividly. Herr Urban- 

 schitsch finds in this reciprocal action an explanation of supposed 

 double consecutive sensations on excitation of one sense. (Nature, 1887, 

 p. 157.) 



The two sources of information which are absolutely indispensable to 

 the studeutof psycho-physics are Wundt's "Physiologische Psychologic" 

 and "Hall's American Journal of Psychology." In addition to these 

 "Mind," " Brain," "Philosophische Studien" and " Pfliiger's Archiv" are 

 to be consulted. In our own country we have at Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity, in Professor Cattell's laboratory, in Philadelphia, in the Army Medi- 

 cal Museum at Washington, apparatus for psycho-physical experiments. 

 Works of eminent authority in this line of research must besought 

 under the names, Cattell, Cowles, Donaldson, Fauvelle, Gallon, Hall, 

 Hodge, Hyslop, Jackson, Jastrow, Kiiuig, Lombroso, Krauss, Kroner, 

 Ladd, Lombard, Thompson, Vigna, W^olfe, and Wundt. 



In the study of mind many subsidiary and leading questions arise not 

 included in any of the classes above noticed. Such would be the pa- 

 per of G. J. Romanes on the mental differences of men and women, of 

 Mantegazza, on psychic atavism, of Nicolas, upon automatism in volun- 

 tary actions, and that most interesting discussion in Nature by Max 

 M filler, Francis Galton, H. S. W^oitley, H. Picton, G. J. Romanes, and 

 J. J. Murphy (xxxvi,28, 100, 101, 124, 125, 171, 172, 219), upon the pos 



